Documentaries, videos, and podcasts to kick start your fight against fast fashion

Learning about the fast fashion business model and the fundamental issues of the industry’s practices on our environment and ethics can send us on a powerful journey towards transitioning to more intentional and conscious shopping habits. Knowledge is power in this process. The more we learn about these topics, the better we can assess our own decisions when we begin vetting out certain brands, companies, and practices as we try to lead a more thoughtful lifestyle as conscious consumers.

Here is a list of documentaries, videos, and podcast that can help kickstart your journey in fighting against fast fashion and being a more conscious consumer: 

Fast Fashion Documentaries:River Blue Still

The True Cost (2015)

The True Cost is a documentary that focuses on the devastating impacts of the fast fashion business model on various ecosystems around the world as well as the horrors of many factories that make our clothes. Director Andrew Morgan takes us to several different countries all over the globe where we’re introduced to farmers, factory workers, activists, and many more who provide an intimate look into every step of the process fast fashion garments undergo before they reach our stores.

River Blue (2016)

Led by river conservationist named Mark Angelo, River Blue brings us face to face with the dangers and damages of the fashion industry on our rivers and on our people. By exposing and examining the irresponsible practices of many fashion brands, River Blue makes a critical statement in an effort to exacerbate more awareness and change among the top leaders in the fashion industry.

The BBC: The Price of Fast Fashion

The BBC’s Assefeh Barrat takes viewers around the world to see exactly how our clothes are made. In this short documentary, we learn about the environmental impacts of the fast fashion industry and the pioneering leaders who are trying to make a change for the good of the planet and its people. 

Fast Fashion Videos:The Patriot Act Fast Fashion

The Patriot Act on Fast Fashion

Hasan Minahj discusses the issue of mass consumption of clothing in America and breaks down the basics of what exactly the fast fashion model is, why it’s popular, and ultimately why it’s so successful. In this video, he takes us through the history of fast fashion from its roots to its devastating legacy and touches on the current issue of ‘greenwashing’ among many fast fashion retailers. 

I Broke Up With Fast Fashion and You Should Too | Gabriella Smith

Activist Gabriella Smith makes us question our relationship to clothing and mass-consumption in this informational Ted Talk. Putting numbers into perspective, she hits us with the facts and statistics of the tolls the fashion industry take on our resources that we far too often take for granted. She offers incredible insight and motivation to rethink how we shop and what we truly value. 

 

Fast Fashion Podcasts:

Business of Fashion

Business of Fashion Podcast

A great podcast for anyone interested in the fashion industry at large, the Business of Fashion podcast covers all the bases that are up for discussion in this ever changing climate. Here is a list of some key episodes that cover topics such as sustainability, ethics, and the importance to create a more conscious culture within the industry and among consumers:

  • Building Smarter, More Sustainable Supply Chains
  • Women Are at the Forefront of the Sustainable Fashion Revolution
  • Jochen Zeitz on the power of fashion to drive sustainable change
  • Special Edition: Kalpona Akter on Choosing Between Lives and Livelihood
  • Eileen Fisher Reflects On 35 Years of Implementing Sustainable Thinking
  • Everlane’s Michael Preysman on 'Balancing Time, Customer and Product' 

  • Conscious Chatter

    Hosted by Kestrel Jenkins, Conscious Chatter focuses on the intersection of fashion and responsibility and the impact of what we wear. It’s a great podcast to listen to if you’re interested in learning more about the fashion industry and how we can all contribute to making a positive change in the way we think about clothing.

     

    Sustainably Influenced

    Sustainably Influenced is a podcast that is a great place to start if you’re just getting started in your sustainable journey. Hosts Bianca Foley and Charlotte Williams bring in experts from different industries to talk about sustainability in their fields and to help break down different terms and aspects of living more consciously.

    Pre-Loved Podcast

    Focusing on sustainability, slow fashion vs. fast fashion, and style, Emily Stochtl’s Pre-Loved Podcast covers the importance of second-hand fashion as a great and unique way to experiment with your style sustainably.

    Not Business As Usual - Sunny Wu, Founder of ourCommonplace

    For those of you who are interested in learning more about ourCommonplace and starting a sustainable business, this episode of Not Business As Usual features ourCommonplace’s founder Sunny Wu as she talks about her own story as a young entrepreneur and the importance of empowering others to live more consciously in the commercial world.

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